LIFE WITHOUT A CAR | Car-free living in Seattle | is it possible to live without a car in america? 

We went car free before we left the States and it was the absolute best! We were much happier all around and learned how to navigate in new creative ways. Then two years ago we moved to a small prefecture in Japan and had to buy a car. As much as we love it here, we are much less happy being in a car every day. We look forward to living in a city again soon and getting rid of this thing.

I'm 52, I've never driven. Two things made me the way I am. Being a child waiting in line with my mom for what seemed like hours to get stickers every year and crossing the country several times with my father by car. I find riding in them to be incredibly stifling and suffocating, don't like them at all. Add to that no one could ever convince me that owning a car was worth even a fraction of what it costs. I'm retiring when I'm 55 and a big part of that is never having driven because I sure didn't make a lot of money in my life. 😂

Hey! Another random Seattle area dweller here. Never had a car, and cannot imagine myself ever wanting one. Earlier this year, I moved to an apartment just next to the southern trailhead of the Centennial. Sure, the rent is absurd, but life overall is definitely still cheaper than it would be if I had to drive to work. I bicycle pretty much everywhere, which is super easy to repair if something goes wrong, plus I technically get like a thousand miles per gallon. I love it. 😸 100% agree with every point you have made here, and it feels amazing to know I am not alone. Thank you!

Good to see an American realise what the best option actually is!

I've been thinking about selling my car when I moved to Seattle, but I was leaning towards keeping it. Then I visited my apartment and they said parking was going to be $325 a month & I live across the street from work. So I realized I'm going to have to sell my car LOL

Even if you do not have good public transportation, I would encourage people to try it for at least a week to a month. They may find it easier than they think. Study your local bus schedule or public transportation system. Is the grocery store closer to your home, work, or gym(Although you may want to cancel your membership, and save more money, because you get to walk or cycle daily, but it can be good for social reasons). Have a plan B if you miss the bus. Is there another bus you can catch, even on another bus route, cycle to work, catch a ride with a neighbor to work or to public transit? I have even been able to cycle to meet up with the bus I transfer to, and put my bike on the bus rack.I discovered that there is a bus that goes in the opposite direction to my work, but connects with another bus that gets me to work faster than waiting for the next bus at my usual stop. Also I keep a grab and go lunch, and a couple of snacks on hand to grab in case I wake up late, so I can still make the bus. Commute time is a nice time to catch up on books I want to read, and relax, or get some work done. One other benefit is that you will build community with neighbors, regulars on the bus, and friends or co-workers who offer rides, especially in really bad weather--Coffee gift cards go along way in thanking them.)Pay attention to the weather, dress in layers, sometimes you have to be flexible and plan your shopping around the weather. I use a wheeled cart for groceries that I take on the bus. People in Paris do it all the time. It also saves money on things we do not really need. You will be more mindful about spending money when you do not have the convenience of a car to transport your stuff. Public transportation will not improve unless there is a demand for it!

I looooove your videos. They are so authentic and you talk about all the right points in such a concise manner. Love everything about it. Keep making more. I am planning to move to Seattle and your Seattle series is a blessing

When I was single, I didn't own a car. Now with a wife and two kids, we do own a car, but we bought it used, it's paid off, it's reliable and we drive it 6k miles a year. Half of that is made up of a couple of road trips each year. We use public transit to get to work, the kids walk to school, and we bike to other activities or for fun.

for hiking, you can replace those car trips too for part of the year thanks to King County Metro's Trailhead Direct service

As someone who hasn't learned to drive yet and is starting to do some work in the transportation sector, found this relatable and informative

Yeah cars are a tax that we pay to multinational corporations. Lived in Seattle for 15 years without a car. Had one for about three years, now I basically don't anymore again and I'm happier for it.

it takes me a 12 mile trail ride to get to downtown where i live, but i now have huge thighs, toned calves, and a nice ass and i don't have to regularly work out. that's a huge bonus.

A good talk. I lived in Portland. Which served me well for alternative transportation. For a couple of decades. It's possible and fun

Cars are actually cool. Traffic is unpleasant though.

The way you described the college town is nothing like either of them that I lived in. Both of them have terrible sidewalks, zero bike lanes, and no public transportation except for around campus to a few apartments during school days. The campuses weren't near downtown either.

There are others like you but we're spread out and the built environment in most of the US will take a few generations to become pedestrian/public transit friendly again if it ever does. College towns and overseas are the best options.

thank you so much for this video!!! you did all the internal debate for me 😭 I am moving to SA and will be getting rid of this car

I’ve been living car-free in Munich for nearly 30 years (which is quite common here) and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s nice is that the city provides services for people without cars - e.g.: You can pay for a truck that comes to your door and picks up bulky waste. Helpful commercial offerings include rentable cargo bikes and Ikea delivering their products to homes.

I've been living without a car after I moved to Chicago last May... I am going to keep living car free

My guy…just sold my car last week. Living that carefree life now. Life has been A1 ever since. Getting tan every day riding that bicycle. No ragrets; not even one letter. If you’re ever in SoCal, let me know! There’s plenty of space out here in Anaheim to be bums with no automobiles.

Love this! Family of 5 here in NYC, car free. Yes we have 3 kids. No we have no car. We travel a ton and bike our kids everywhere easily. Yes we can grocery shop! And yes we can do things in a fraction of the time than by Uber, driving ourselves (that's insane in NYC), and bus or subway. We have an Urban Arrow dutch cargo bike and it's amazing. If people considered ebikes more like car replacement vehicles most people can either go car free or downgrade from a 2 car family to a 1 car + bikes family. Most trips for most people are < 6 miles easily and by bike there are usually much more interesting routes than by car. Looks like you could do another video on how things have been going since you posted this video?

I'm seriously considering going this route.. just figuring out the bus routes/bike paths/light rails isn't exactly straight forward!!

I think the UAW strike taking place now is the best thing to happen to the environment this year and I hope Shawn keeps the strike going. The shut down truck plants are putting out much less pollution if no product is being made. Big ridiculous size trucks are not being manufactured so they can't pollute. If people can't get parts, then the trucks can't run and pollute. Meanwhile, some people might decide to bike, walk, public transportation, or work from home and not need a car so much. I always say, if you don't like what the CEOs make, Don't Buy The Truck! I also notice that strikers walking the picket lines are losing weight.

I live in the UK and used my car everyday, to travel to work. I used it for very little else. It was costing me £2000 per year to run and maintain. I since bought a bicycle and have found it takes me less time to commute to work than it did in the car! This is down to avoiding traffic congestion and rush hours.

Very nicely done Rin. I wish I had such awareness and clarity when I was your age. It’s folks like you who give me hope for a sustainable world someday.

I’ve never owned a car ever. I never learned how to drive. I’m 44. Somehow I’ve been able to survive. And I’ve lived in very car oriented cities like Seattle, Atlanta, DC, etc. Im fortunate to work from home full time and have done so since 2016. And I really enjoy my lifestyle. I know so many people who are at the whims of their car. And it’s just refreshing to never really have to worry about it

I’m 24 yo. I get hella insecure that i still cant drive. My relatives doesn’t have time to teach me due to their work. I grew up in a household where no one drives. Im too damn shy to ask anybody to teach me. I took a driving school and drive test and failed. But i never looked forward having a car due to bills and stuff like that. Thank you very much for sharing!! This really made me feel not alone.

Seattle is definitely possible to be car free. Did it for 8-9 years. I think somewhere east of Redmond is where it becomes almost impossible though

I ride a bicycle to work and saving $ and i been doing this since 2014, I'm going to DMV to surrender my drivers license!

I'm from germany and got rid of my car about 10 years ago. It was a not only for economic or ecologic reasons. I just didn't need my car most of the time. Even in suburbs we have good public transportation and we live in mixed zones were the grocery stores are in walkable distance. We usually have sidewalks and biking lanes. When I really need a car once or twice a year I use our local car sharing. I never understood why people drive to the fitness center, do their workout on a training bike and take their car back home. For my workout I take my bike and ride through our wonderfull nature. And the best: I don't have to spend a lot of money for the fitness center.

I feel like there are a ton of car-free Seattle folks here in the comments and we should start a club! Been here 5.5 years without a car and I only ever want to live in cities where I won't need one... I'm in no rush to go back to owning one.

I have tried to learn to drive a car when I was a teenager... accidentally crashed into a tree....then I tried again sometime later in my brother's car he had at the time...also an epic failure...then more than 8 years ago by some stroke of luck when I was staying with a relative I used her truck to pass the driving test. Long story short... still to this day I STILL have no car...I've always had bicycles. That been my main mode of transportation.

Was following you till you went all save the planet self righteous ayy 😂

When I was car free when I lived overseas and worked there I didn’t have to join a gym because I walked or bicycled everywhere when I did not take a train or street car. However, when I return to United States I gained 10 pounds and had to drive just to the grocery to buy us something small or drive to the gym that cost a lot to join. Actually I didn’t join it and I’m walking around my ugly suburban neighborhood and you can not actually walk safely to the grocery to buy something small because there’s no way to walk there safely even though it’s only us so far

I honestly don’t have a car and it’s been a week I tried to look for another vehicle but everything is so darn expensive lol

Have you ever thought about a ebike? I’ve got the cowboy 4 ST and it’s pretty nice

I’m not happy where I am living in suburbia. I need to find someplace where I can go car free but I don’t want to live in a big city like New York City or Seattle. I’m doing more research to find that medium size city where I can go bicycling and walking instead of drive the car everywhere I need to go. And I didn’t even know what a Costco five dollar chicken was until someone took me in their car and showed me before I bought a car when I returned to the United States. Actually I can do without the five dollar chicken because there’s so many other things I like to eat but each to their own.

I am 18 and I iterally cannot drive because I'm lazy and dont wanna know how to and would also love to live without a car

After graduate school, I plan to move to Washington, D.C. Or N.Y.C. I have zero desire to have a car in the future. My mom gave me her car while it's still in her name. It makes insurance much cheaper.

Living in one of the biggest cities in America... Where there is some sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transportation. Not the best, but better than nothing. Try living in a small suburb in the middle of nowhere, more than an hour away from any other suburban city.

May I know which area has good Public transit options ?

I did buy a hybrid car and I’m enjoying it but I still rather would find a car free life I’m still looking for the city that would suit me. Tested be big enough to have some kind of museum and other culture activities it’s small enough I don’t feel lost in like New York City

Lived here for 2 years without a car, no problems at all

My bike is my freind.

9 months later, how is it going?!

I am happier without a car. Due to my mental health, I got a bus pass that allows me to use any public bus in Scotland free and any train for distances up to 10 miles for £1 i way and £1.50 return or half price for longer journeys. I also have y e-bike and most of the roads aren't too busy. I have a shop, a Chinese retaurant, a fish and chip shop and a bar/diner right across the street and I am a 20 minute walk/5 minute bike ride from the town centre, I could go to the top of my street for dance lessons, a tattoo, an Indian meal and a weeks shopping at Aldi if I really want. I can cycle to my girlfriends house in under 10 minutes, which is about how long it'd take to drive given the shortcuts I can take on a bike and cycling is just more enjoyable- I'd need 2 buses and an hour for that ourney, so public transport kinda sucks due to the lack of orbital routes forcing a detour to a hub, but hey it is free and there are many journeys for which it still makes sense! I'd argue that if we invested as much in public transit and made it free at point of use (like we do for car infrastructure) That almost nobody would have a car, just because of the savings! This would open up everything for poorer people! I was more excited to get free transport than I was to buy my first car! Now I just have absolutely no desire to own one. If I want to take a peasure trip or need to move, I will hire the car or van I need! With all of the money I'm not spending owning a single car, I can easily access the vehicle I need or want for a day or two, even if I wanted to hire a sports car to drive out to the coast! Owning a car is for chumps here!

We're thinking of moving to either Seattle or DC in order to be in a larger metro where a car free lifestyle is more common. We share a car now, rarely use it, but our transit system in Charlotte NC isn't great. Plus, we know virtually zero people who share our interest in car freedom. Do you think it's a lot more normal in Seattle to live without a car and to think first of other ways to go places? I fear Seattle is also a little car-centric and we might still feel somewhat alone in that sense, which is one reason we are also considering DC. Interested to hear your thoughts.

I prefer petrol and diesel cars they are more efficient for me personally. Taking away or banning disel and petrol is a violation of our freedom and right to own personal property like cars ect. Public transport doesnt get you everywhere neither does walking or biking. Public transport is not efficient. Owning a car is better than and more efficcient than public transport. You dont have to rely on public transport and this creates a sense of freedom and independence you commute anywhere you need to. Privacy and saftey are detrimental to me just as much as independence.

6:49 hey! that's an explosion not an implosion !

I’ve lived here for a year without a car! Only reason why I’d want one is so I can go snowboard alone in the winter🥲

Did you eat much sugar when you were a kid ?

Electric vehicles can be in the mix if autonomous driving picks up more steam. Imagine summoning an autonomous vehicle for pickup. This would obviate the need for car ownership for many people. Keep up the good work!! 👍👍

Almost anyone in a European city would wonder why there is even a point to a video like this because so many people don't bother with cars.

It took me until a pandemic to realize how much it sucked to be surrounded by cars and depend on it for my sole means of transport 🙃. The US is way too overbuilt for cars but for a lot of people, it's all they know. Not a big fan of EVs as the solution we seem to have settled on. They're way dirtier during production as you mentioned and buying one would just put me in debt I don't want. It'd be great if it were EVs + more walkable neighborhoods (at least in more sub/urban areas. I know rural areas won't have the option but it would go further where more people live anyway). But that would take such a generational change that I don't think we're ready for yet. But maybe someday ~~~ Do you feel isolated in Seattle sometimes as a car-free resident? Some places are better than others. I used to go to school in Houston and even though the campus was walkable, the moment you step outside its boundaries, you're screwed without a car so sometimes it felt like an island without proper connections.

I thought you were going to give some insight on how you make living without a car work?😂😂😂 so is the solution to get by with Uber or Lyft? I didn’t really here where you offer any solutions to the problem…..

how do you get your groceries home when you don't have a car in a city?

i live without a car in Alabama it's easy i have a Ebike i am 46 if i can do it anybody can

You gotta remember that not everyone wants to live in or near the city. Me and my wife have a house on 12 acres which is surrounded by acres of farm land. We got 5 miles of dirt roads till you hit pavement also it's a 50mile round trip to work so public transportation is out of the question. Also in the winter you better have a good 4x4 if you plan on going anywhere. So yes there is a price to pay if you want to live out in the middle of nowhere but when we come home to our beautiful property and the fact that we are pretty much independent is well worth it. Also I work as a diesel mechanic so repairing our own vehicles is a walk in the park.

She is really pretty with beautiful skin.

Did you just say that you hardly shower? Oh no,

How about the dating scene, navigating without a car? idk about seattle but its usually considered the guy has a car to go on dates (pick up or drop off or get them in your apartment :))

buy a car

This is not realistic, unless you never switch jobs. You don't go anywhere outside Seattle; hikes. Also, Seattle transit is horrid...ppl get assaulted on the daily. And waiting for the bus @ night? This is on the same vibe as "van life"...

Ok, in the segment "Cars are unpleasant", you are driving home your point by equating cars to kids. Is there something else, you want to share with us? :D

If you're going to go car free, you'd better darn sure have a bicycle. Walking is slooow.